Anna Maria Manfra

I am a ballet-trained dancer and dedicated dance educator with over 15 years of professional-level training and extensive experience teaching across leading studios and academic institutions in New York City and Europe. I currently teach ballet, contemporary, jazz, rhythmics, and acrobatics to students ranging from early childhood through advanced and competitive levels. My work emphasizes technical clarity, musical intelligence, and healthy body mechanics, with a strong focus on injury prevention and long-term dancer development. Alongside my teaching career, I remain an active professional performer, having danced as a soloist and corps member with established ballet companies, which allows me to bring current professional standards, discipline, and stage awareness directly into the classroom.

My education is rooted in the Vaganova Method, completed at the National Ballet Boarding School in Poland, where I earned a European Level 6 Artistic Qualification. I hold a BFA in Dance from Adelphi University, graduating with a 3.9 GPA and Dean’s List honors. I have also attended the American Ballet Theatre JKO School. This combination of elite classical training and academic study across European and American systems has shaped me into a refined, adaptable, and pedagogically grounded artist and educator.